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100 hr Professional Development Programme

Keep learning. Keep becoming.

Freedom’s 100-Hour Professional Development Programme is a year-long mentorship for qualified yoga teachers who want to deepen their knowledge, strengthen their confidence and continue evolving long after their initial teacher training.

Across twelve specialist Freedom Masterclasses, you’ll learn from an experienced faculty spanning therapeutic yoga, functional anatomy, philosophy, meditation, Ayurveda, inclusive teaching, energy practices and professional development.

Alongside the Masterclasses, you’ll receive a private mentoring session with Programme Director Jackie Heffer-Cooke every month. This is where you can bring the real questions that arise through teaching: your classes, students, confidence, sequencing, ideas, challenges and business plans.

The Masterclasses give you new knowledge and inspiration. The mentoring helps you apply it to your own teaching.

This is more than a collection of CPD days. It is a year of investing in the teacher you are becoming

Freedom Yoga & Retreats Director Jax Heffer-Cooke

  • September 2026–September 2027.

    The first Masterclass takes place on 6 September 2026.

  • SunFyr Barns, Norfolk (10 min drive from Norwich)

    All twelve Freedom Masterclasses take place in person at SunFyr Barns, the home of Freedom School of Yoga.

    Monthly mentoring sessions take place privately online with Jackie.

  • A year-long professional development programme comprising:

    • Twelve full-day, in-person Freedom Masterclasses

    • Twelve monthly private mentoring sessions

    • Independent reading and reflective study

    • A professional development portfolio

    • Ongoing connection with the Freedom teaching community

    Each Masterclass can also be booked individually, subject to availability.

  • Founding Member Programme: £900

    The complete programme would ordinarily cost £1,140. The first cohort can join at an exclusive Founding Member price of £900.

    Individual Masterclasses are £95 per day and will be released subject to availability after full-programme members have been accommodated.

  • £200 (required for instalment plans)

  • The complete Professional Development Programme is designed for qualified yoga teachers who have completed a recognised 200-hour yoga teacher training.

    You do not need to have completed your original training with Freedom.

    Selected individual Masterclasses may also be suitable for experienced practitioners, subject to the content of the day and approval from the Freedom team.

Join the founding cohort
Request a call

What People Are Saying

  • A woman practicing yoga in a studio with the SunfyR Barns logo on the wall behind her, performing a plank pose on a yoga mat.

    Jess

    When deciding to do yoga teacher training, I was really anxious… so finding Jackie to learn from was a blessing. She is a beautiful person, who creates a space where everyone is welcome. Her warmth, knowledge and eloquent way of speaking makes learning with her an absolute dream. Through her YTT, she helped me find my voice, courage and also importantly, a wonderful friend and mentor.

  • A woman with curly hair is smiling and sitting at a table in a garden or greenhouse, surrounded by dense foliage. There is a table number '30' in front of her.

    Lynsey

    I discovered Jackie last July while searching for yoga training after two years of looking. From the moment I found her, I knew. Jackie is an exceptional teacher who creates a beautifully relaxed environment. I’m so grateful and excited to experience one of her breathtaking retreats next year. Highly recommended.

  • A young woman with long hair sitting on a blanket outdoors on a grassy field with small flowers, smiling at the camera.

    Jess

    When deciding to do yoga teacher training, I was really anxious… so finding Jackie to learn from was a blessing. She is a beautiful person, who creates a space where everyone is welcome. Her warmth, knowledge and eloquent way of speaking makes learning with her an absolute dream. Through her YTT, she helped me find my voice, courage and also importantly, a wonderful friend and mentor.

  • A woman practicing yoga indoors on a wooden floor, in a camel pose, in front of a wooden wall with a decorative mandala design.

    Rae

    I truly loved my yoga teacher training with Jackie. Yoga philosophy, historical texts, business skills, and practical understanding were taught clearly in a friendly, fun, and supportive way. The experience became a profound turning point in my life, shaping my path and leaving memories and lessons I will cherish forever.

  • A woman practicing meditation outdoors, sitting cross-legged on a mat, with eyes closed and hands resting on knees in a mudra position. She is wearing a light T-shirt and patterned leggings, with a wooden fence, a small tree, and potted plants in the background.

    Rose

    Finding Freedom yoga was a pivotal moment for me. Doing my YTT was a dream I had for a long time, but never found the right time or the right training. I like to think Freedom Yoga found me as much as I found it, and along with it the most incredible teacher I could wish for. Jackie pours her heart into her teachings, making the course deeply meaningful. It was life changing for me. I loved being apart of this community, we built strong connections because Jackie leads with an open heart, when you’re shown vulnerability it makes it safe to be vulnerable too. I loved every part of my training.

  • A woman standing in a kitchen holding apples, smiling at the camera, surrounded by various kitchen items and groceries on a table.

    Monika

    Freedom Yoga and Retreats represented by Jackie taught me the basics of yoga. I have gone through the journey of completing my Yoga Teacher Training with Jackie, where I learned yoga philosophy, postures (asanas), physiology and safe teaching of all of this to wonderful people wanting to feel the benefits of yoga. Jackie has made the whole experience into a great journey with laughter, conversation, easy to access and clear information and wholesome communication. Time flew by! It has really been an experience of a lifetime and I wish I could do it again! Thank you Jackie!!

  • A woman sitting at a table holding a large bouquet of flowers, smiling, in a bright indoor setting with a window in the background.

    Gillian

    Attending Jax’s yoga classes for the first time earlier this year I was immediately struck by her warmth, depth of knowledge and ability to communicate the deeper aspects of yoga along with the asanas in an engaging and unique way. I am now on her Yoga Teacher Training course.

  • Woman practicing yoga in a balancing pose on a yoga mat outdoors near a fireplace with pumpkins on a ledge, wood logs, and a lit lantern overhead in black and white.

    Dawn

    I completed my yoga teacher training with Jax and then returned to complete my children's yoga teacher training. Jax's knowledge and passion for yoga are infectious. Her magic spark that she shares so freely makes you believe that you can succeed in anything! I loved being part of the powerful community she built during our training. Can't recommend enough!

  • Black and white photo of a woman with glasses, wavy hair, smiling

    Liane

    Freedom Yoga Retreats has been a grounding, joyful and deeply nourishing experience, bringing a sense of ease and openness that allows real connection formed through movement, laughter, and meaningful conversation. Strangers quickly feel like friends. Jax & FYR offer me space to be fully myself—supported, cared for, and free—while feeling held by a warm, welcoming community.

  • A woman sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat, smiling, in a room with a wall that has large letters spelling part of a word, surrounded by yoga props, papers, and a water bottle.

    Deb

    Thailand reset my nervous system in the best way. Jaxx held the retreat with calm confidence, warmth, and real depth—every class felt safe, grounded, and quietly powerful. She saw people properly, met us where we were, and helped us go further than we thought possible, giving us the space to find our answers and make connections in so many ways.

  • Two women standing in front of a fireplace, holding a certificate and smiling, in a room decorated with plants and candles.

    Kasie

    I couldn't have hoped for a more inspiring environment to begin my professional journey into yoga.

  • People sitting cross-legged on yoga mats participating in a meditation session with closed eyes and relaxed postures indoors.

    Chelsie

    This training was truly transformative, inspiring, and full of joy. It felt community-driven, empowering, and deeply supportive. Jackie is an incredible teacher - guiding with wisdom, care, and heart. By the end, she and my peers felt like family.

  • Black and white photo of a woman with styled blonde hair, wearing makeup and earrings, posing against a plain background.

    Rowena

    The timing was perfectly serendipitous when I bumped into Jax; having not practiced yoga with her since I was pregnant over 13 years ago, I'm now on her 200 hour yoga teacher training course.

    I'm loving my training with Jax. Everyone relates to her, she is a true inspiration! Jax is knowledgeable, a realist and has core yogic values that drive us to be the best versions of ourselves.

  • A group of people participating in a yoga or meditation class indoors, with a woman leading the session while seated cross-legged. The background features a wall with a large Sunfire Barns sign and decorative elements. Participants are sitting on mats with yoga blocks around them.

    Carissa

    Yoga Teacher Training with Jackie at Freedom Yoga and Retreats was a truly transformative experience.

    Her depth of knowledge, grounded wisdom and authentic presence created a learning environment that felt both empowering and deeply supportive.

    Jackie doesn't just teach Yoga, she embodies it, weaving philosophy, anatomy and mindfulness into every session with clarity and compassion.

    I feel incredibly grateful for her guidance and would highly recommend her teacher training to anyone seeking an inspiring and heart-centered path into Yoga.

  • Black and white photo of a woman with light hair smiling, standing in front of a bush with large magnolia flowers and smaller flowering plants.

    Cath

    What can I say…. Apart from amazing. Everything I wanted in a yoga teacher training, and more. For me it was important to learn the true essence of yoga… not just an asana or pranayama practice. Jackie teaches with heart, skill, professionalism, nurture, thoroughness, creativity and wisdom. An unforgettable journey, not only professionally but on a personal level too. Thank you so much.

Why this 100hr programme

The best teachers never stop being students.

Finishing your first teacher training gives you the foundations to teach. It doesn’t answer every question that emerges once you begin standing at the front of a room.

How do you develop your own teaching voice? How do you work sensitively with different bodies and nervous systems? How do you create classes that feel intelligent, inclusive and memorable? How do you keep growing without piecing together disconnected workshops?

The Freedom 100-Hour Professional Development Programme gives you somewhere to explore those questions.

Across one supported year, you’ll learn from specialists, reflect on your own teaching and receive personal guidance as your confidence and identity continue to develop.

At Freedom, we believe that the best teachers are shaped by many voices. No single tutor can be an expert in every aspect of yoga, which is why the programme brings together an experienced faculty, united by one shared educational philosophy:

Compassionate. Evidence-informed. Philosophically grounded. Deeply human.

This isn’t simply about collecting another certificate.

It is about becoming a more knowledgeable teacher, a more thoughtful practitioner and a more confident version of yourself.

  • This programme is for qualified yoga teachers who want more than occasional workshops.

    It is for teachers who want to broaden their knowledge, refine their practical skills and receive continued guidance as real questions arise through teaching.

    You might be newly qualified and looking for support as you find your feet. You might have been teaching for years and feel ready for renewed inspiration. You may want to develop your confidence, explore new areas of study or reconnect with the deeper purpose behind your work.

    You do not need to teach in a particular style or have completed your original qualification with Freedom. What matters is a willingness to remain curious, reflective and open to learning.

  • By the end of the programme, you will have:

    • Expanded your knowledge across twelve specialist areas

    • Strengthened your practical teaching and communication skills

    • Developed greater confidence working with different students

    • Explored new approaches to movement, philosophy and wellbeing

    • Refined your own authentic teaching voice

    • Applied your learning through personal mentoring

    • Built relationships with a supportive professional community

    • Completed a reflective independent learning portfolio

    Once all programme requirements have been completed, you will receive the:

    Freedom Professional Development Diploma – 100 Hours Continuing Professional Development

    Important: Only describe the programme or individual days as externally “CPD-accredited” once the accreditation process has officially been completed.

  • The Freedom Masterclasses are held at SunFyr Barns, a rural wellbeing and education centre surrounded by the open skies and countryside of Norfolk.

    SunFyr is the permanent home of Freedom School of Yoga: a place created for thoughtful study, embodied practice, professional learning and genuine community.

    Monthly mentoring sessions take place privately online, allowing you to remain supported between each in-person training day.

Apply now

Course Content

The programme is structured around twelve specialist Freedom Masterclasses, each led by a tutor with depth and experience in their field.

Every Masterclass is a complete professional development day in its own right. Together, they create a wider journey through the physical, philosophical, therapeutic, energetic and professional dimensions of teaching yoga.

Open each section to explore what you’ll study.

  • Tutor: Nicola Stroud

    Explore how stress and trauma can be experienced within the body and how yoga may support greater safety, connection and self-awareness.

    Through therapeutic movement, somatic exploration and trauma-informed principles, you’ll develop practical tools for creating compassionate and responsive learning environments.

    The day will consider language, choice, consent, nervous-system awareness and the importance of teaching in a way that supports agency rather than imposing a single experience on every student.

  • Tutor: Swami Atma Gyanam Saraswati

    Move beyond simply placing poses together and begin creating practices with greater intelligence, meaning and purpose.

    This Masterclass explores progressive sequencing, advanced postural understanding and the deeper philosophy that can underpin a skilfully constructed class.

    You’ll consider how physical, energetic and philosophical intentions can shape a sequence, helping you create classes that feel coherent rather than formulaic.

  • Tutor: Kate Money

    Explore movement rather than memorising isolated muscles.

    This practical Masterclass introduces biomechanics, fascia and functional anatomy in a way that directly supports modern yoga teaching.

    You’ll examine how different bodies move, why a posture will never look identical for everyone and how anatomical understanding can inform safer, clearer cueing.

    The day will also explore respectful adjustments and how to support students without forcing bodies towards an assumed ideal.

  • Tutor: Katie

    Explore voice as part of your practice and teaching through mantra, chanting, breath, vibration and Kundalini-inspired movement.

    This Masterclass is designed to help you become more comfortable using your voice, expressing yourself and creating atmosphere within a class.

    You’ll experience the relationship between sound, breath, energy and confidence while considering how these practices can be introduced authentically and accessibly.

  • Tutor: Michelle

    Move beyond rigid alignment rules and explore a more intelligent, individualised approach to teaching posture.

    You’ll develop your observational skills, refine your cueing and learn how to make thoughtful adaptations for different bodies, abilities and experiences.

    The emphasis is not on creating one visually perfect pose. It is on helping each student find an appropriate balance of stability, ease, awareness and agency.

  • Tutor: Tara

    Explore Yin yoga as a practice of slowing down, listening and creating space.

    This Masterclass considers the physical, emotional and nervous-system effects of longer-held postures, stillness and rest.

    You’ll deepen your understanding of Yin principles, fascia, appropriate use of props and the importance of creating safe, supportive environments for quieter practices.

    You’ll also explore how to teach Yin with sensitivity rather than assuming stillness feels the same for everyone.

  • Tutor: Nicola Polette

    Drawing on the Amnanda tradition and Tibetan Ayurveda, this Masterclass explores a more intuitive and compassionate way of understanding the people who enter our classes.

    Moving beyond physical alignment alone, you’ll consider constitutional differences, energetic balance and individual needs.

    The day develops greater presence, observation and sensitivity, helping you respond to students as whole people rather than bodies performing poses.

  • Tutor: Jackie Heffer-Cooke

    Explore how ancient yogic wisdom can remain meaningful within contemporary life.

    This Masterclass brings together yoga philosophy, mindfulness and meditation, introducing traditional practices alongside contemporary understanding informed by psychology, neuroscience and lived experience.

    You’ll deepen your understanding of yoga beyond the mat and develop greater confidence teaching meditation in a way that feels authentic, grounded and accessible.

  • Tutor: Jackie Heffer-Cooke

    Develop the practical skills that help turn knowledge into meaningful teaching.

    This Masterclass explores authentic teaching presence, communication, sequencing, class structure, language and the many small choices that shape a student’s experience.

    You’ll examine what makes a class feel coherent and memorable while developing greater confidence in your own individual style.

    The aim is not to make every teacher sound the same. It is to help you teach more clearly as yourself.

  • Tutor: Jackie Heffer-Cooke

    Explore what is involved in creating and facilitating a thoughtful, well-held retreat.

    You’ll consider retreat design, group dynamics, emotional safety, communication, boundaries, pacing and the practical responsibilities involved in leading people through a shared experience.

    The day will also examine how to create a coherent retreat journey that feels meaningful without promising unrealistic transformation.

  • Tutor: Jackie Heffer-Cooke

    Explore neurodiversity, the nervous system and how different people may experience a yoga environment.

    Drawing on educational research, neuroscience, lived experience and yoga philosophy, this Masterclass considers autistic experience, ADHD, sensory differences and diverse ways of processing information.

    You’ll leave with practical strategies for developing clearer communication, offering meaningful choice and creating classes that are more genuinely inclusive and accessible.

Join our training

Dates

The programme runs across twelve in-person Masterclasses from September 2026 to September 2027.

Each month offers a new area of learning, followed by time to reflect, practise and apply what you have explored within your own teaching.

Between the in-person days, you’ll continue receiving private mentoring and remain connected to the programme.

The order of the individual Masterclasses will be confirmed once the complete faculty timetable has been finalised.

  • 6 September 2026

    4 October 2026

    1 November 2026

    17 January 2027

    7 February 2027

    14 March 2027

    4 April 2027

    2 May 2027

    6 June 2027

    11 July 2027

    August 2027 — date to be confirmed

    September 2027 — date to be confirmed

Find your place

Your Training, Your Support

Eligibility, assessment, and what’s included

Applicants to the full Professional Development Programme must have completed a recognised 200-hour yoga teacher training.

You can join whether you trained with Freedom or another established training provider.

To receive the Freedom Professional Development Diploma, participants will need to:

  • Attend all twelve Freedom Masterclasses

  • Complete the required independent learning

  • Submit a reflective professional development portfolio

  • Meet any additional completion criteria confirmed before enrolment

The programme fee includes:

  • Twelve in-person Freedom Masterclasses

  • Twelve private monthly mentoring sessions

  • Programme learning resources

  • Guidance for the independent learning portfolio

  • Connection with the Freedom teaching community

  • The Freedom Professional Development Diploma upon successful completion

Required books, travel, accommodation and any optional additional events are not included.

Meet your Programme Director: Jackie Heffer-Cooke

Jackie, known to many students as Jax, brings a grounded and thoughtful approach to yoga shaped by years of personal practice, professional teaching and experience leading classes, retreats and teacher-training programmes.

Her work honours yoga’s traditions while considering the realities of teaching in the modern world with honesty, curiosity and care.

Before working in wellbeing, Jax spent more than a decade as an executive television producer, leading teams and creating content within demanding professional environments. She has since applied those skills to developing several yoga and wellbeing organisations, including Freedom Yoga & Retreats, SunFyr Barns and Freedom Wellbeing Projects.

Jax remains Programme Director throughout the year. She oversees the curriculum, works closely with the specialist faculty and ensures that each Masterclass contributes to one coherent educational journey.

Most importantly, she provides monthly private mentoring to every full-programme member.

These sessions offer space to discuss the reality of teaching: confidence, students, sequencing, difficult classes, professional decisions, retreat ideas, marketing, business development or simply how your identity as a teacher is changing.

Jax also holds an MA in Global Social Development from the University of East Anglia. Questions of ethics, cultural integrity and social responsibility continue to underpin her approach to yoga education

Other teacher trainings (specialist pathways)

If you’d like to specialise alongside the diploma, or add new pathways after you qualify, these shorter trainings offer clear, professional routes into teaching specific groups. Each is designed with safety, inclusivity and real-world delivery in mind- with options to train in person or live online, depending on the course.

Discover ZenMuma

FAQs

  • This course is for dedicated practitioners who want to deepen their practice and/or qualify to teach yoga confidently and safely. It suits people based in Norwich, Norfolk, Suffolk and across East Anglia - or those willing to travel one weekend a month - who want an in-person training with steady structure and strong support.

  • Applicants should have a minimum of two years of consistent yoga practice. What matters is your commitment and readiness to show up consistently.

  • On completion, you’ll receive a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Diploma and be a fully trained, insurable yoga teacher. Graduates can also choose to register with professional bodies such as Yoga Alliance Professionals if desired.

  • No. You do not need to do advanced poses. You do need a consistent practice, openness to learning, and willingness to develop strength, mobility, awareness, and confidence over time.

  • The training is held at SunFyr Barns, a peaceful countryside studio around 15 minutes from Norwich.

  • It’s delivered as monthly weekend trainings from October 2026 to July 2027, Saturdays 10am-5:30pm, and Sundays 10am-5pm. This format is designed to be realistic alongside work, family life, and other commitments , with time to integrate what you learn between weekends.

  • Training runs 10:00–17:30 on Saturdays and 10:00–17:00 on Sundays (unless otherwise stated for special sessions).

  • You’ll explore yoga as a whole practice… from asana, anatomy and safe, mindful movement, to philosophy, meditation and the subtle body. Alongside this, you’ll be supported to develop your teaching skills through clear methodology, sequencing, peer teaching and reflective feedback, with space to understand the practical realities of sharing yoga in the world.

  • Assessment is continuous throughout the course via teaching practice, participation, coursework tasks, and home practice. The aim is steady progress, not pressure.

  • Fees include tuition, mentoring, pdf course manuals and handouts.

  • Required texts and accommodation are not included.

  • £2,200 if paid annually, or £2,400 if paying in monthly instalments.

  • If paying by instalments, a £200 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required at the time of booking.

  • All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.

  • Yes- the course is designed so you leave able to plan, sequence and teach safely, with confident cueing, clear structure, and real practice teaching in the room.

  • Absolutely! If you’d like to talk it through, you can request a short call or email conversation with Jax to check the course is the right fit before committing.

Apply Now